Wednesday, July 24, 2013

UP North, Racin, & more UP North

Another whirlwind...it seems like its been a busy summer so far and the party is just getting started with potential races on the calendar all the way thru Chequamegaon/Vegas/SunPrairie UCI week. OUCH just thinking about it....

So I needed to start things off with a week off the bike. We went up to Eagle River and did some serious R&R. Not really though...we ended up staining the cabin while we were there. It was just what I needed. Something to focus on, but not on the bike. On a ladder!

After the awesome week in Eagle River it was back home to prepare for the Subaru Cup. I only had a few days to get some key workouts in...one of which was about the hardest set of 2 * 20's I have ever done. Sometimes you just need to flip the switch and go and get the job done...it hurt.

It proved just enough platform to have some solid racing at Subaru Cup. I arrived to the Cup and it seemed a little crazy. Lots of stories floating around about wrong turns, missed laps, early pulls, etc. I was pretty bummed when I saw Andrea and she was one of the wrong turns after having a great race.

Then in the mens XC race another wrong turn...I couldn't believe it for a split second, but then I realized I was at the front of the race and led the entire first lap. My confidence in my form was not the best, but I managed to fight hard and finish 10th. In the STXC I had another great start and sat on the back of the lead pack for as long as possible. With 3 laps to go I was over my limit and suffered hard to hold my position and finished 8th. Then I decided I had better have a go at the Super D as well and try to score some WORS points, but I was running on E and could only muster a 5th place.

All in all a great weekend with 3 Top 10's at a USPRO XCT.

Sunday night we were home and Monday we were hitting the road again. This time it was north to Firefly Lake for a family camping trip. Tuesday was back to Eagle River for a second coat of stain on the cabin, and Wed we headed to the UP for a coaches clinic for the upcoming Womens Weekend in Copper Harbor. Andrea was invited to be a coach at Womens Weekend along side 9 other awesome female mtb'ers including Lindsey Vories and Angi Weston...two chicks who can shred the trails! On Wed Lindsey had a coaches get together so everyone could get on the same page. While they were meeting I was out ripping trails with the dudes!

Thursday we headed up to Copper Harbor and Andrea and I hit up the trails before the clinic started on Friday. We did one of the most epic rides yet....at the top of the MTN Lodge this crazy storm blew in...black, windy, eerie, but then no rain...so we went back out and jammed more trails! Then about 35-40 minutes later half way down the FLOW trail the real storm came and we got caught out in some of the craziest blinding rain I ever ever been in and some super loud crashes of thunder.

Friday the Womens Clinic started and I didn't see much of Andrea the rest of the weekend, but there was no shortage of people to ride with. Friday morning I headed out for a loop with Caleb from the Bike Shop in Houghton and Lindsey's husband Kirt. If you don't know Kirt do a little research....one of the nicest guys out there who can seriously rip. Lindsey and Kirt have an awesome story and love to share their passion for MTB just like Andrea and me. Anyway Kirt, Caleb and I did a sweet epic ride w/ wet bridges, crashes, and deep water. It was so fun....what mtb'n is really about!

Saturday I participated in Kirt's Enduro clinic and tried to pick up some skills pointers, and Sunday we all did a final coaches ride at the end of the Womens Weekend which provided even more classic moments! All in all a great weekend in Copper Harbor...can't wait to go back.

Huge Thanks to Clif Bar and ProGold for goodies to hand out to the ladies! Also huge props to Andrea...current leader of the WORS Series Pro Point Standings!